Young Eternal
by SocksinSpace
Summary: BEING RE-WRITTEN UNDER THE TITLE 'Youth and Fear' Too young, but too strong to let die, MiM revives a four-year old Jack Frost and places him in the care of North. Can North handle his job, a child with near cosmic powers, and the rising threat of the Boogieman all at once? I do not own ROTG nor any of the characters within.
1. A Boy, A Cave, and Silver Light

Jack shivered and shook, holding tightly to his chest a weeping bundle of bubbling baby girl. "Shhh, shhh, you're okay. I wont let you freeze." He refused to even entertain the idea of his sister freezing to death in this cold, so why would he ever let her freeze willingly?

Emma squealed in distress, the cold biting at her skin. "C'mon, Emma, Pa'll find us."

Jack was feeling sluggish, and the fact that the cold was wearing down on him like this only made him curl around his sister protectively, shielding her from the harsh winds that blow in from the cave mouth. If he can't handle the cold then she surely can't. "I should have stayed with Pa, I never listen.. I am so sorry sis." The four year old sighed with icy breath, his body heat having been drained mercilessly from his very bones.

"So…." His fingers were steadily turning blue and his mind slowing dramatically. "Sowwy…." His voice slurred and, slowly, very slowly, his eyes closed. The last thing Jack hears before he looses consciousness is his Pa desperately crying his name, and the last thing he sees is a bright, silver light shining on him from outside.


	2. Child Collecting

MiM watched young Jack with a great deal of guilt, knowing full well the consequences of making someone so very young a spirit, this guilt nagged on his conscience until something came to mind. Of course, the man this 'something' involves would _not_ be very pleased with Manny for his actions. "Aaaahhh... Who am I kidding, North would very well behead me for this if he could."

 **:North Pole:**

North loved what he did, the impact he had on the world with his gifts and cheer, and he loved coming up with new things for the children he so adored. It was one such time where he was working on sculpting ice into a prototype for his newest toy idea that he was abruptly interrupted.

North was not pleased when his personal workshop was overrun by elves all trying to drag him from the room.

"Vat are you doing?! Off with you, go annoy yeti!" The big Russian's words went unheeded, they simply kept pulling at his pants with urgency. The odd seriousness on their faces was missed a moment too late as Phil, the head yeti, bust in without anything but an urgent look on his furry face. North found himself increasingly concerned when he felt something odd in his belly. Not disastrous, but... Uncomfortable. Like something just happened that very well shouldn't of happened at all. "What is it, Phil?" The Cossack's voice was strictly business now and he listened intently to what the yeti had to say. "Manny, yes? Alright, let us hope is not Pitch again, da?"

It didn't take long to reach the globe room and find himself reaching for the Aurora, only to stop himself when MiM told him what happened. "WHAT!?" North cried. "You made _child_ into spirit?! _VINTER_ spirit no less! Why would you do such a thing?" North just held his hand up when Manny went to reply, silencing the effort quickly. "Vy are you telling me this, Man in Moon?" Symbols appeared on the floor in as descriptive a manner as can be managed. "...Care for him?" North sighed, he couldn't in good conscience leave a child out on their own. It wasn't long before he was asking for the boy's location and rushing off in the sleigh to collect him...


	3. Can't Remember

Frost covered everything, from the tallest tree to the smallest rock. Jack found himself quite pleased with the sight in fact. The exploring of his frosty powers was a nice distraction from the painful experience of being unseen, unheard, and untouchable…. The rowdy winter spirit found himself flash freezing the surrounding area when he thought about it and with as much will power as a child could muster pushed the thought at the back of his mind.

"I wish I knew what was goin' on…" Jack silently pleaded with the moon, only to be disheartened by a lack of response. "You told me my name! You spoke, I know it! 'Least you could do is tell me why!" His voice echoed and Jack didn't care. Nobody would hear him anyway. The child spirit sniffled and tried his best not to cry. "I… I want something… I want my mommy… But- But I don't have a mommy!" Jack paused, his eyes widening in desperation. "….Right….?"

:Tooth Palace:

Toothiana is in the middle of cooing over an especially adorable Bicuspid when she is alerted by one of her fairies that the moon wishes to speak with her. It takes very little time to reach her home's version of North's globe room after being notified. She is flitting about nervously as MiM explains, that nervousness all but vanishing in moments and quickly replaced with shock. "A… A child!?" Her voice is shrill as she speaks. "You brought a child back from the dead!? And made the poor thing into a spirit?!"

There are several fairies surrounding their mother that stare in sad awe at a shadow image of a little boy, oblivious to their mother's frantic and reeling emotions. "You- You said you sent North for the boy? To care for him?" A check mark confirmed her inquiry. "And… He has no memories?" Another check mark. "Do you… Want me to show him his memories…?" An X. Tooth gaped at Manny's reply.

"The boy is barely old enough to be considered something more than a toddler, is a spirit in control of great power, has no memory of his life before tonight… And you want me to withhold his memories?" Her eyes widen at the slew of imagery frantically trying to explain the situation at hand. "A death his mind is not ready to remember… And may never be…" Toothiana whispered solemnly. A check mark, though slowly and almost resignedly, forms in confirmation. Tooth nods reluctantly, about to tell her goodbyes and take her leave before she is stopped by more imagery flashing.

Toothiana doesn't know what to say, she falls to the ground at what she sees. "You…"

:Jack's Pond:

He's a blur among the trees, hardly noticeable in the colors he now blends in so well with. Jack pants as he darts under low-hanging branches and vaults over raised roots. He smiles wide as frozen water comes into view and he leaps from the tree line to the bank of a pond. A giggle escapes the boy when frost spreads along the icy surface unhindered from contact with his feet. He's long since pulled himself fully from his depression under the statement of 'who needs friends? My feet make ice!'.

Jack is distracted from his fun by distant jingling.

"Wha-" The winter spirit cuts himself off and simply gapes in astonishment at the flying object coming his direction. "Woah…" Curiosity takes hold and he calls for the wind- not actually knowing if it will heed his call, but somehow thinking it will- and asks it to take him to the 'flying thing'.

He is nothing short of ecstatic when he shoots into the air and hurdling towards the object of his curiosity.

Jack actually almost shoots right by it, but is caught moments before he does. "Oof!" Jack immediately tries to wriggle out of someone's grip before realizing something. "Ah-… You can touch me!" His declaration is met with an amused chuckle. "Of course, malyutka, why would you think I could not?"


	4. Shadows Have Eyes

Jack stared in awe at the man before him, his little mind working to figure out what was going on and who this jolly man with the weird accent was. All he managed to say, however.. "You sound funny."

Down at the tree line shadows writhed and moved unnaturally, golden orbs narrowed in disdain at the sleigh as it passed overhead. "What is he doing here? Should he not be busy preparing for his holiday?" For a moment the hidden figure pondered the circumstances, slinking back into the shadows. "What is the Cossack up to…?"

 **:Someplace in Central Asia:**

Sandy was conjuring pleasant dreams for all the children, taking into account what the little ones have shown to prefer as he works. He was only a little surprised when MiM's light shown down on his cloud of dreamsand.

'Tsar? Why are you contacting me?' Sanderson signed, admittedly curious as to the reason for Manny's sudden appearance.

He watched symbols fly by at a speed only he and Tsar Lunar could understand, eyes widening as the moments ticked by. 'A child!?' There was a check mark in confirmation. Sandy paced on his cloud, mulling over the circumstances with a thoughtful expression. Questions fired out at a rapid rate above his head with his eyes trained on the moonbeam.

'How old was the child?' He scowled at the response he was given. 'Four years old…'

'And he died in a cave, protecting his infant sister from the cold?' A check mark.

'Why would you revive a child and give them such power? Mother Nature will surely have your head, Tsar Lunar.'

Despite the situation Sandy can not help but smirk at the panicked symbols flashing by at the mention of Seraphina. The smirk vanishes when MiM calms and starts up his explanation. 'Ah, potential.. He is still a child, Tsar. Surely you have a caregiver in mind?' A check mark. 'Who then, if I might ask?' A bust of North shows on the ground, though at this Sandy simply nods in approval. North may be boisterous and rowdy, but he would be a good caretaker for the young spirit.

Just when Sanderson thinks Manny is done conversing on the matter he receives an urgent request and warning, sending the poor man of sand into shock at what he sees. 'Pitch-'

 **:North Pole:**

Toothiana flits about anxiously, waiting with bated breath for the return of the Cossack and his new charge. She was beyond shocked by the request she'd received from Manny and still unsure as of what to do. "He doesn't even remember her, but he wants his mommy…" Tooth wouldn't deny it for a second, she was crying at the thought. Wanting something you don't remember and are so, so sure you don't have. It broke her heart imagining a four-year old crying over something they have no memories of.

"And MiM…" Her wings sped up, ending in her zipping around the room in the midst of an anxiety attack. MiM wanted her to be the boy's surrogate mother! To give him the experience he can no longer have with his human family. And of all things North would be the boy's surrogate father! It irked her to no end that the child spirit would be most likely be gorging himself on sweets, ruining his teeth! Poor Tooth really didn't know what to think of the situation, and preferred to keep herself relatively calm by just giving orders to the fairies that followed her to the pole. She would wait until North returned to continue thinking about all that has happened.

North stared at the little boy of whom he held by his brown cloak, noting the brilliant blue eyes and snow white hair. The child actually looked like he could pass for his son, which the Cossack would never admit to feeling a small bit of joy at the idea. This child clearly had a great deal of wonder and enthusiasm, being at the age when nothing keeps you down for long. It felt like an eternity before he finally spoke. "What is little boy's name?" North asks the winter spirit, to which said spirit in question momentarily stops his annoyed scowling- he'd been held like a puppy for what felt like to him to be hours, he was a tad bit upset at that- at the inquiry. "I'm Jack! Jack Frost!" He cries jubilantly and with no shortage of childlike energy. "What's your name, mister-old-man-sir?" North sputtered a bit before he responded. "Am not old man, Frost child! Am Santa Claus, very proud to be too!"

Jack squirmed in St. Nick's grip whilst he giggled at the Russian's response. "You sure look old, ya' know. And fat. And you still sound funny… Hey, where are we goin'?" North laughed, sitting Jack down in the seat next to him and pulling a snow globe out of his pocket. "North Pole!"


	5. Displeased

Jack couldn't hide his awe at the site before him, a large and mischievous grin showing welcoming on his snow pale face. North grinned at the child's enthusiasm and so very child like behavior. It was a good thing the boy did not know of his death, being so young and no doubt uncomprehending of the concept would likely lead to the information of his own sad and untimely demise leaving his innocence tainted and the boy himself scarred. The Cossack was pulled from his musings by the sound of yeti crying out indignantly and the distant whooping and hollering. North smiled at the joyful behavior and seemingly endless energy bounding off of young Jack.

"My boy, vould you like cookie?" He'd barely finished his sentence before a small brown and white blur rammed into him with such force it almost sent him, Nicholas St. North, North, Bandit King and Guardian of Wonder, to the ground. North could tell that the reasoning for his near tumble was not because of the neck break speed at which Jack was -very- shakily flying, but the bruising force unknowingly exerted upon impact. North was a sturdy man and even Bunnymund himself, a proud and strong- and very full of himself- Pookan warrior could not knock him off his feet as the energetic winter spirit nearly had. The boy was strong, very strong. He looked down at the boy, said child having attached himself to North's coat panting and giggling wildly. Those blinding blue, innocent, precious eyes sparkled with wonder and mirth at the sights he was witnessing as he answered with a winded voice but plenty of joy and excitement. "Sure!" Nick couldn't help but chuckle at his charge's antics.

 **:Warren:**

Bunnymund was just starting to pick up speed in his egg production for Easter that would come within the next few months. It was nearing December already and the closer he was to the end of the year, the closer he was to the beginning of his season, the more his instincts told him to work faster. If he were any busier he probably wouldn't of noticed the moonbeam shining down with intensity just in front of him. (the only reason he ever recognizes the aurora when his holiday Is near is because of the magic that beckons all the guardians with some sort of resonating hum)

"Wot d'ya want, mate?" Aster asked distractedly after barely sparing the silver light a brief glance. His full attention was caught after five minutes when he realized MiM was refusing to answer verbally. It was always when important news was being told that MiM chose to be an ass of a leader and play charades instead of getting to the damn point. An exaggerated sigh escaped him as he locked eyes on the beam. "Well? 'Aven't got all day yanknow."

He regretted his attitude the moment he realized what Tsar Lunar was trying to say. That regret was quickly replaced however with rage. "You turned one o' tha' ankle bitahs' into a winter sprite?!" He barely registered Manny's slight correction in his angered state. "You-" Bunny's eyes widened in shock and horror when he realized what was meant by the correction. "'E'S THE BLOODY SPIRIT A WINTER!? DO YOU 'AVE SOME 'ROOS LOOSE IN THE TOP PADDOCK OR WHAT, MATE?!" He paced, still barely giving the symbols that flashed by any attention. A great, heaving sigh escaped the pooka after a long moment. He looked irritatingly at the circle of silver light shining through the carefully enchanted sunroof of the Warren.

Heavily saturated green eyes widened as he took in some new and rather daunting information. "…Bloody hell, Lunar. What 'ave you done?"

 **:North Pole:**

Tooth and Sandy listened to the commotion going on around the workshop. Tooth smiled when she heard the voice of the little boy grow closer and closer. "North?" She called gently but loudly, so she could give North some warning to her presence. Sandy simply watched the entrance to the globe room knowingly.

 **::North POV::**

I heard Tooth call my name, and quickly pulled Jack to hide behind me. I did not know if Manny had informed the others of Jack, but either way I wanted to be the one to introduce him to them officially and properly. It took a moment for me to gather my wits about me and reply. "You are here, Tooth? Is Sandy and Bunny with you by chance?" I wouldn't let them see Jack until everyone was present, subconsciously I had hid jack further behind myself.

 **::Tooth's POV::**

I could hear the subtle panic and nervousness in the Cossack's voice, it made me want to go out there and comfort him. Instead I simply chose to respond calmly. "Sandy's here, but Bunny isn't. Manny told us about the boy, and knowing you you'll want to wait until he's here to start introductions." A more level-spoken 'da' was all I needed for confirmation before I told him that it was fine and allowed him the time to usher the child, Jackson Overland- Now Jack Frost- to the kitchens for food. (Unless they'd already eaten and just wanted to get to somewhere they could snack if they got bored of the wait.) Hopefully Bunny would show soon though, I really want to see that kid's teeth.

 **:Pitch's Lair:**

"I had my eyes on that boy, but now he's in the hands of the guardians…" Pitch paced as he spoke to no one in particular, disdain and anger showing on his grey features. "That fear was so strong for one so young, the terror when he realized he could not be seen. His center hadn't even started developing yet, so he could have only been a few hours old at the time." The shadow man snarled and bashed his hand against a steel labyrinthine wall, denting it easily. Pitch knew that the large boost in strength he'd gotten from that boy's fear would go away eventually, but he marveled at the dent just an irritated punch with little force behind it could make in the metal wall. Pitch knew what he would have to do, but it would take time, effort, planning and caution. A sharp toothed grin spread on his face as he turned to the shadows.

"I don't care how long it takes, that child is my ticket to restoring what is mine…" And with that, he was gone.


	6. NOT A CHAPTER

**Due to some personal issues, I'll be on a short Hiatus with my writing for both my current works. I'll also be taking into consideration lengthening and possibly re-doing some chapters so the stories run smoother and aren't choppy.**

 **As to why I'm going on Hiatus, I've fallen into writer's block, for one, and my already amateur work becomes very…** ** _convoluted_** **when I attempt writing like that. More so than it likely already is.**

 **I'll be sure to come back as soon as I can, in the meantime, please excuse my absence.**

 **Your's truly,**

 **SocksinSpace**


	7. Who's The Mom?

Jack and North were talking companionably in the kitchen, when I yeti interrupts them to let them know that Bunnymund has arrived. "Ah, everyone is here! Good, good. Tell them I will be there in a moment." The yeti responds with a nod before ambling off.

North turned back to Jack, eyeing the frost that decorated everything the boy touched. "Malyutka, have you no conduit?" The confused look he is given is all the answer Nicholas needs. "Ah, I will explain later. For now, let us meet the other Guardians, yes?"

 **::Globe Room::**

Bunny was pacing, just as Tooth was nervously flitting about and Sandy was- well, he was Sandy, of course. Sandy was very smart, despite his appearance and overall personality. Currently the little golden man was fighting with an elf over eggnog, the gumbies.

"Aaargh!" Bunny stopped his pacing and rubbed his temples with the pads of his paws.

Pitch knew about the child, he knew and the Tsar couldn't do anything to have kept it a secret? The boy would have to be under constant surveillance from now on if they wanted to keep him safe from the former general's clutches. He pulled out an egg to keep himself occupied in the meantime.

Tooth fluttered with anxiety while she thought of what the others had told her.

First she is asked to become a mother figure to balance out North's new role as father figure, then Sandy had told her that Pitch was planning something, and then BUNNY told her that Pitch knew of the child's existence! It was all very frustrating. "Guys, what are we going to do about this? What was Manny thinking?" The Fairy Queen blurted with a great deal of worry and hysteria edging her voice. It was Sandy who soothed her.

'We are the Guardians of Childhood, we must care for this child, especially if Pitch is on the move despite his still greatly weakened state.' The man of sand floated up to a momentarily stationary Toothiana, placing one of his tiny hands on her shoulder and giving her a sympathetic smile. 'I do not know why Tsar Lunar did something like this, but we nor he can change what has happened.'

Tooth nods and continues her bout of nervous flitting. "You're right, we have to do this, he may be immortal now but he's still a child."

The lot of them waits patiently for North, though not without their misgivings on the events that have unfolded.

It was a difficult wait indeed, Tooth's fluttering soon became a flurry of movement, Bunny was painting the same egg over and over again, and Sandy just sat, even after the yeti that had gone to retrieve the two came back saying they would be on their way momentarily.

It was at least another hour before they heard a child's laughter mixed with their Cossack friend's own jovial chuckling. "Hello friends!" He called as he burst into the room, a trail of frost followng very close behind him. "Meet Jack! Jack Frost!" The jolly man gestured just behind him, an arm reaching back to pluck the child from his location and hauling him to stand before the three remaining Guardians.

Tooth took one look, just one, and she cooed.

Sandy smiled at the tike, it was one of his favorite children, Jackson Overland. It was a bit saddening to know the boy's fate now.

Bunny looked up last, his eyes widening a tad when he saw the resemblance between him and the Cossack.

Carefully, Bunnymund eyed North. "Why does this ankle-bittah look so much like you, North?"

That certainly gained the attention of the others.

"I know! He is just winter spirit, color is expected, but we can just pass him off as son da?"

"Then who's the mum?"

"-Oh, Right."

 **::Jack's Pond::**

Seraphina strode onto the icy surface, staring with annoyance at the Moon.

This? Jack Frost? Was NOT MiM's domain.

Did he leave well enough alone? No.

Will she ever get a break? No.

Is she going to strangle Tsar Lunar until he turns all colors of the rainbow and sprouts a pot of gold on his head as a result?

Yes.

The moon noticeably dimmed.


	8. Not a chapter! (Please read)

**I know I haven't updated in a while, and I'm terribly sorry for that. Right now my focus is on getting a comic series started on Tapastic and updating All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy on AO3 I promise that I'll be returning to IDCHSR soon, and later on, once I have the inspiration for it again, Young Eternal. Thank you for your support thus far and to those that have been patient with my slow updates and painfully short chapters!**


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